Punjab vs Kolkata, Qualifier 1

Umesh Yadav: "Obviously I have got my basics right. It is important to bowl the right line and length with the new ball. I always get some swing if I land the new ball in the right areas. I have worked hard on my fitness as well. All the boys have worked hard and that is the reason why we have won 8 games in a row."

Umesh Yadav is the Man of the Match for his figures of 3/13

Gambhir: "The support we have got in all our home games has been fantastic. We can't thank the crowd enough. At the toss I wanted to chase but now I would take batting first. We were always thinking of the first 5 overs as you can't really know how the weather will play in Kolkata. I was thinking about today's game and was not thinking about the Indian team selection."

So that will be Kolkata's eighth win in a row - one more and they will win the cup. There will be no presentation as the second game has started. If they show us the presentation later, we will bring you the quotes. Hop tabs to follow all the action from the Eliminator between Mumbai and Chennai. Enjoy that game. For now it's goodbye from here from all of us.

Maxwell and Vohra - were big wickets and once they were snared, the spinners came into their own to derail the chase. Shakib in his three overs was the most difficult to get away as he hardly gave any pace on the ball. Chawla picked up wickets and his delivery to get rid of Miller was an absolute belter. The asking rate kept mounting and there was no way Punjab were winning as Narine's two overs at the end finished off the job.

So in a crunch game, Punjab fall short - this is the first time they have lost chasing this year; they had won 6 in a row chasing before today. They would happily swap one of those for today's win. But that's cricket and credit to Kolkata for strangling the Punjab power-hitters with great usage of their resources. The first 6-7 overs were all about handling the rain and other variables as one thought we could get a rain-shortened game. The D/L sheets were out in full force as the players kept checking it up regularly. Once the 5-over mark was completed, we had a game.

19.6 U Yadav to Johnson, no run, Kolkata win! They are through to the final. Great joy in the Kolkata camp. In front of their home crowd at the Eden too. The crowd are dancing in the isles as one famous commie used to say. I guess, you already know how the final delivery panned out. Yadav has beaten Johnson with all sorts of deliveries this over, this one was the slower delivery, Johnson made room to work it to leg, missed and the ball looped on the bounce to the keeper. Once the over was called, the celebrations began in the Kolkata camp.

19.5 U Yadav to Johnson, no run, Johnson hasn't connected with anything apart from his first-ball six. Full and wide outside off, swing and predictably a miss

19.4 U Yadav to Johnson, no run, quick bouncer, nearly a wide, but just about the right height as Johnson hooks and misses. Yusuf claps in appreciation even as Yadav has a wry smile at the batsman

19.3 U Yadav to Johnson, no run, Johnson backs away and tries to pull, but Yadav beats him with a sharp back of a length delivery. The ball goes over the stumps

19.2 U Yadav to Karanveer Singh, 1 run, driven on the up, in the air, but fell short of cover

Karanveer Singh, right handed bat, comes to the crease

19.1 U Yadav to Bailey, out Caught by M Pandey!! All over now for Punjab. Bailey went for the six, but his flat-batted hit found long-on. Easy catch and cue for wild celebrations in the Kolkata camp. The two main men in this team - Uthappa and Gambhir are chuffed to bits. A forlon looking Punjab skip walks back. Bailey c M Pandey b U Yadav 26(17) [4s-1 6s-2]

U Yadav to Bailey, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Bailey is gone and Gambhir jumps into Uthappa's arms in delight.

Umesh Yadav [3.0-0-12-2] is back into the attack

18.6 Narine to Johnson, no run, Johnson, you can swing all you want. But you won't connect, against Narine. Blind slog and a miss. Just the 4 off the 19th over - that's why Narine is the best spinner in this format. He has basically sealed the game for his side with that over.

18.5 Narine to Bailey, 1 run, top-edge but falls in no man's land. Only a single too. That could be the game. Bailey looks very disappointed

18.4 Narine to Johnson, 1 run, off the toe-end as the ball came miles late, Johnson eons early into the pull. What a top over this is from Narine

18.3 Narine to Johnson, 2 runs, squeezed out to sweeper, they come back for the second. Still Bailey is off strike

18.2 Narine to Johnson, no run, and again. Much bigger turn, Johnson is in position to play any sort of shot. Looks very awkward when playing that shot and predictably he misses. Two dots in a row

18.1 Narine to Johnson, no run, slog and a miss. Can't blindly slog this fella. Turns away from the bat. Mitch, give the strike to Bailey

17.6 Shakib to Bailey, SIX, third six off the over. Bailey won't give up. Down the track, takes it on the full and tonks it miles over deep midwicket. Shakib has bowled well today, but his last over has gone for 21. Just about keeps the game alive. Kolkata need to get Bailey out or keep him off strike. But they have Narine to bowl one over, won't be easy for Punjab

17.5 Shakib to Johnson, 1 run, from over the wicket now, Shakib bowls it much slower, dragged to the leg-side with no timing as Johnson went for the slog to leg again

17.4 Shakib to Johnson, SIX, Johnson keeps the fight going. Fetches this from outside off and goes for his favorite leg-side hoick. Times it well and he's smashed it over wide long-on. Can he keep going?

Mitchell Johnson, left handed bat, comes to the crease

17.3 Shakib to R Dhawan, out Stumped!! Dhawan is gone and that's another one down. Shakib saw the batsman coming, fired it wide of off, went under the bat of Dhawan as he tried to reach out. Uthappa did the rest. And Uthappa pumps his fists vigorously in celebration. R Dhawan st Uthappa b Shakib 14(15) [6s-1]

Shakib to R Dhawan, THATS OUT!! Stumped!!

17.2 Shakib to R Dhawan, SIX, look at Shakib's reaction! Umesh has jumped too early and palmed it over the bar and over the boundary. Swung to him at a catchable height, Umesh in anticipation jumped early, the ball came late and by the time it came, he had done enough to push it over. Shakib has his hands on his knees

17.1 Shakib to R Dhawan, 2 runs, Surya slides at wide long-off to keep it to a couple after Dhawan came down and drove it along the ground

16.6 Narine to Bailey, SIX, slog-swept six. Good hit. Picks the offie and goes with the turn over deep midwicket. Connected it well and they need much more of these to stay in the game for it is fast running out of their hands

16.5 Narine to Bailey, no run, Bailey was looking for an encore. But this was much quicker and beat him on the cut. He seemed to lose balance, but kept his back foot grounded as Uthappa whipped the bails off

14.4 Chawla to R Dhawan, 1 run, looked like the offie that time from Chawla, slapped to cover

14.3 Chawla to Bailey, 1 run, uses his feet and drives it down to long-off

14.2 Chawla to R Dhawan, 1 run, if Uthappa had collected that, another wicket would've resulted. Dhawan defends and gets an inside edge that rolls through his legs, doesn't know where the ball is, it went just wide of the keeper after bouncing in front of him. Dhawan is a lucky man

14.1 Chawla to R Dhawan, no run, gets forward and drives straight to the fielder at cover

13.6 Shakib to R Dhawan, 1 run, gets forward and drives it down to long-off, keeps the strike

13.5 Shakib to R Dhawan, no run, very slow and on the stumps, Shakib is making the batsman make all the play, again defended

13.4 Shakib to R Dhawan, no run, opens the face of the bat and plays it towards point

Rishi Dhawan, right handed bat, comes to the crease

13.3 Shakib to Bailey, out A Patel Run Out!! When a batsman plays a shot behind square, or behind the wicket, it is always the non-striker's call. And what a bad call that was from Patel. It was pulled to short fine, hit well too, Bailey was swivelling and playing it, as soon as he played it, Patel was rushing down, the throw was good and Uthappa whipped it from behind him. Gambhir is pumped. Even a desperate dive from Patel couldn't save him. Punjab losing it now. A Patel run out (Chawla/Uthappa) 2(2)

Shakib to Bailey, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!

Has Patel run himself out? Uthappa thinks that the non-striker is gone. OUT! Uthappa has done really well. Suicidal running from Patel. Punjab are shooting themselves in the foot. Surya has some words of advice to Patel as the batsman walks off. I'm presuming he is telling him how to run

13.2 Shakib to Bailey, no run, beautifully bowled, Bailey is beaten in the flight as he danced down, adjusted well and defended it back to the bowler in the end

13.1 Shakib to A Patel, 1 run, whipped off the pads to deep square leg, only a single

Shakib Al Hasan [1.0-0-15-0] is back into the attack

That will be timeout time! Kolkata bossing the game, but Punjab have good hitters to come in Johnson and Rishi Dhawan. They certainly aren't out of this, but if one was a betting man, Kolkata seems to be the team to lay your bets on at this stage. Miller was a key wicket and though he was let-off by S Ravi when he was plumb lbw against Chawla, he fell to the same bowler. Now Bailey's turn to be the hero for his side. Can he take them home?

12.6 Chawla to A Patel, 1 run, dragged down again, thumped square of the wicket on the off-side

12.4 Chawla to Bailey, 2 runs, comes down the track and eases it towards the 30-yard circle at midwicket, an easy two by the time long-on comes in to field

12.3 Chawla to Bailey, no run, flatter and quicker, Bailey defends off the back foot

George Bailey, right handed bat, comes to the crease

12.2 Chawla to D Miller, out Bowled!! Ripper! Chawla wants to celebrate in a unique manner and he is down on the ground, yet manages a smile. Uthappa falls on him. Pitched way outside off, turned in a long way and beat Miller's attempted cut. The ball clunked into middle, leaving Miller flabbergasted. The amount of spin on the ball would've done a certain Shane Keith Warne proud. Shades of Edgbaston 2005 when Warne bowled Strauss? Or is that comparison way off the mark? You decide for yourselves. But that could be the game-changing wicket. D Miller b Chawla 8(12)

Chawla to D Miller, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

12.1 Chawla to D Miller, 2 runs, flicked through mid-wicket, well placed and it's a couple of runs

11.5 M Morkel to W Saha, no run, good slower bouncer. Saha was too early into the pull, the ball looped over his bat. Morkel is keeping it tight

11.4 M Morkel to W Saha, no run, tapped from the crease to Pandey at point, a slight fumble from him, then looks at the batsmen - whether they run, they don't so doesn't pick the ball up. That was clever from Pandey. Whether he does it intentionally to trick the batsmen into running remains to be seen

11.3 M Morkel to D Miller, 1 run, Miller gives the bowler the charge and drives it down to long-on

11.2 M Morkel to W Saha, 1 run, tries to take it from outside off, the length wasn't short to pull, a bottom-edge rolls wide of leg stump. Miller wants the single and calls Saha through

11.1 M Morkel to D Miller, 1 run, that's banged short on the stumps, Miller was hurried onto the pull, played it awkwardly in the end, swivelling to get it away to fine leg

Morne Morkel [3.0-0-20-1] is back into the attack

10.6 Chawla to W Saha, no run, short and wide, turning away, Saha looks to cut and misses. He is disappointed that he hasn't put that away

10.4 Chawla to W Saha, 1 run, fraction short on the stumps, Saha rocks back to pull to deep mid-wicket

10.3 Chawla to W Saha, SIX, pressure-releasing slog-sweep six. They needed that. Too full, but Saha got under it to get a biggie over deep midwicket

10.2 Chawla to D Miller, 1 run, flicked to backward square leg

10.1 Chawla to D Miller, no run, too close to cut! Miller went for the shot, missed. Uthappa did too, but no damage done

9.6 U Yadav to W Saha, 2 runs, great running Saha. Flicks to deep square leg, rushes back for the second, the third ump has a look, but the batsman beat the one-bounce throw to the keeper quite easily

9.5 U Yadav to D Miller, 1 run, if Pandey had caught that, that would've been a great catch. Palmed over the bar. Miller came down the track and slashed hard, it was in the air and travelling at some speed to the right of point, Pandey moved, got both hands, but the ferocity of the shot, meant he couldn't get the time to react and haul it in. They take a single

9.4 U Yadav to W Saha, 1 run, gets forward and flicks it towards deep mid-wicket, wide long-on comes in to keep it to a single

9.3 U Yadav to W Saha, no run, looked like the slower delivery, but it was outside off, Saha tried to dab it down to third man, but missed. Two dots in a row

Looks like the rain has eased. Time to put the D/L sheets away for a while

9.2 U Yadav to W Saha, no run, length on off, Saha defends it back to Yadav

9.1 U Yadav to W Saha, FOUR, not well-timed, but just wide of Surya at wide long-on. Knelt down to slog, off the bottom of the bat and just about enough to beat the diving fielder who tried to parry it back, but couldn't

8.6 Chawla to D Miller, no run, that has hit Miller on the stomach. He missed the sweep and wore one on his body. Looks to be in pain, but should be alright

8.2 Chawla to D Miller, leg byes, 1 run, how was that not out S Ravi? That's one of the plumbest lbw decisions you can get as an umpire and Ravi shakes his head for some strange reason. Pitched on off, turned in, struck Miller low on the pad after the batsman missed the flick. The ball would've crashed into any one of the three stumps. A loud, loud appeal from the bowler, but all to no avail. Will this prove to be a turning point? Time will tell

8.1 Chawla to W Saha, 1 run, short and turning away outside off, cut off the back foot to sweeper cover

Piyush Chawla, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack

Today's game depends on D/L a lot. That's why one can see Gambhir - the fielding captain and the batsmen at the crease have the D/L sheet in their hands all the time. They keep referring to it every now and then. That's how it is today.

7.6 U Yadav to D Miller, no run, full and on off, square driven off the front foot, straight to the fielder at point. There was a slip placed for Miller for this ball by Gambhir - good attacking captaincy

Rain or no rain - one thing won't change and can you guess what it is - the timeout!

David Miller, left handed bat, comes to the crease

7.5 U Yadav to Maxwell, out Lbw!! That's plumb! The Eden crowd go mental. Umesh is mobbed by his team-mates even as the rain picks up again. Yadav has mixed it up well, keeps this on off, with a bit of indip, Maxwell had already decided to shuffle and play the pick-up shot to the leg-side, missed and this time Llong had no hesitation as the ball would've crashed into the middle of off stump. The crowd sense the importance of the wicket and cheer loudly. Maxwell lbw b U Yadav 6(9) [4s-1]

U Yadav to Maxwell, THATS OUT!! Lbw!!

7.4 U Yadav to Maxwell, no run, well bowled! This time, the slower delivery, kept low, Maxwell slogged after coming down the track, the ball went under his bat. That's two dots in a row. Pressure building on the batsman

7.3 U Yadav to Maxwell, no run, wild slogging from Maxwell now. Charges Yadav way too early, the bowler spots it, bowls it short and wide outside off, the batsman swings and misses

7.2 U Yadav to W Saha, 1 run, short and down leg, pulled off a top-edge down to fine leg

7.1 U Yadav to Maxwell, leg byes, 1 run, was that too high? Looked a good shout! Maxwell went for the across-the-line slog, missed and the indipper crashed into his pad right in front. But since it was hitting him above the knee roll, Llong decides in favor of the Victorian

Umesh Yadav [1.0-0-3-1] is back into the attack

After 7 overs, Punjab are 2 runs behind D/L par. Umesh to bowl now.

6.6 Narine to Maxwell, 1 run, an intended slog-sweep, but off the bottom of the bat and down to short fine, a quick single taken

6.5 Narine to Maxwell, no run, dances down, isn't to the pitch of the ball, so has to block it with his body, does so and the ball rolls near his feet

6.4 Narine to Maxwell, no run, full and wide outside off, driven powerfully, but straight to the fielder at cover

6.3 Narine to Maxwell, FOUR, one-bounce four! Swung away from leg stump as Narine went for the knuckle ball, wide of the man. Maxwell connected it well

6.2 Narine to W Saha, 1 run, turns it with the spin, towards the midwicket region

6.1 Narine to Maxwell, 1 run, pushed to mid-on, off the front foot

Sunil Narine [1.0-0-7-0] is back into the attack

It is now drizzling quite a bit. Gambhir has a chat with the umps. They continue for the time being

5.6 M Morkel to W Saha, no run, a dot to end the over. Saha cautiously defends from the crease

5.6 M Morkel to W Saha, wide, down leg, wide called

5.5 M Morkel to Vohra, out Caught by U Yadav!! Vohra has thrown it away. Just as we were praising his great batting, he has paid the price for an over-ambitious shot. Wasn't there for the pull, nor was it there for the flat-batted shot over mid-on. Yet Vohra went through with the shot - on the up, it hit him high on the bat, a good back-pedalling catch from mid-on, who had to judge the skier and he did so well. Vohra c U Yadav b M Morkel 26(19) [6s-3]

M Morkel to Vohra, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

It is now coming down heavily at the Eden.

5.4 M Morkel to Vohra, no run, short and angling in, Vohra tries to play the fancy upper cut, but the bounce is too steepling for him to connect, doesn't and well-held by the keeper

5.3 M Morkel to Vohra, no run, blasts it on the up, but straight to the fielder at mid-off. Didn't find the gap this time

5.2 M Morkel to Vohra, SIX, that's an awe-inspiring shot. Off one of the best fast bowlers in the world. On a good length on off, Vohra just lifted it nonchalantly over long-on. The timing was super-sweet and there was only one result - a six. This fella is a real talent

5.1 M Morkel to Vohra, no run, tries to play a short-arm jab, but mistimes it straight to the fielder at mid-on

Morne Morkel [2.0-0-13-0] is back into the attack

4.6 Shakib to Vohra, 1 run, whipped off the pads to backward square leg, keeps the strike with that single

4.5 Shakib to W Saha, 1 run, pulled from the stumps, down to deep backward square. They are now ahead of D/L par

4.4 Shakib to W Saha, no run, backs away and cuts straight to the fielder at cover-point, missed out there

4.3 Shakib to Vohra, 1 run, no he can't! Cleverly bowled. Saw Vohra advancing, dragged it down short, tapped into the off-side for a single.

4.2 Shakib to Vohra, SIX, that's two in a row. This one is a well-timed lofted hit. On the stumps, Vohra got forward and lifted it over long-on's head. That also means they just need a single off the next four balls to be ahead of D/L par. Back-to-back sixes, can he make it a hat-trick?

4.1 Shakib to Vohra, SIX, he has basically slog-swept on a crouched knee. Wasn't to the pitch of the ball, but once he half-bent down, he connected it really well and the white ball kept sailing all the way. What a welcome for Shakib to the bowling crease

Shakib Al Hasan, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack

3.6 Narine to W Saha, FOUR, down the leg side from Narine, with backward square leg and fine leg inside the ring, Saha goes down on his knees and slog-sweeps it over the infield to pick up four crucial runs

3.5 Narine to Vohra, 1 run, flatter on the leg stump, Vohra pushes it to mid-on

3.4 Narine to W Saha, 1 run, Saha gently works the fullish delivery to mid-wicket, looks for the second but Vohra sends him back. There is a slight fumble by Tendo but they don't take the second

Chaos! The covers were being brought in, the players asked them to go back, the umpire too joins them and they are going to play on as it is not raining heavily!

3.2 Narine to Vohra, no run, again down the leg side, Vohra misses the flick, the ball brushes the thigh pad through to the keeper

3.1 Narine to Vohra, no run, down the leg side, Vohra helps it to short fine leg

Sunil Narine, right-arm off break, comes into the attack

2.6 M Morkel to W Saha, SIX, handy hit as the rain is just around the corner. That will help them get closer to the D/L par score. Full delivery down the leg side, Saha flicks with a strong bottom hand and it goes all the way over deep backward square leg

2.5 M Morkel to W Saha, no run, appeal for LBW, not given. That is a good call from umpire Ravi. It was sliding down the leg side. Full delivery from Morne, Saha misses the flick and struck in line with leg

2.4 M Morkel to W Saha, 2 runs, full slower delivery on the off stump, Saha flicks it away to deep mid-wicket for a couple

2.3 M Morkel to W Saha, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Saha pushes it to point

2.2 M Morkel to W Saha, no run, fullish and just outside off stump, Saha defends close to his front pad

2.1 M Morkel to Vohra, 1 run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Vohra nudges it to wide mid-on

1.6 U Yadav to W Saha, no run, a wild swing across the line. That wasn't far away from the sticks either. Short of a length delivery on the stumps, Saha had no clue about that delivery

1.4 U Yadav to W Saha, 1 run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Saha runs it down to third man

1.3 U Yadav to W Saha, no run, I heard a noise! So did Uthappa, Umesh and the rest of the Kolkata players. The appeal is spontaneous but umpire Llong is unmoved! Yes, replay confirms that there was a noise and Saha is lucky to still be out there. Good length delivery outside off stump, Saha pokes at it with hardly any feet movement, in the end he gets lucky

1.3 U Yadav to W Saha, wide, sprays this down the leg side, Saha fails to help it away

1.2 U Yadav to W Saha, no run, full delivery outside off stump, Saha drives it straight to cover-point

Wriddhiman Saha, right handed bat, comes to the crease

1.1 U Yadav to Sehwag, out Caught by Shakib!! Sehwag cannot believe, he's hit this straight to the fielder. Tell you what, that was hit really hard, Sehwag thought it was four but he was surprised to see Shakib grab the ball at cover-point. He does not want to go but he's got to leave. Nothing but a short of length delivery outside off stump, Sehwag rocks back and slaps it very hard but picks out the fielder to perfection. Sehwag c Shakib b U Yadav 2(3)

U Yadav to Sehwag, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Umesh Yadav, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

0.6 M Morkel to Vohra, no run, edged but safe. The man at first slip was a little too deep and Vohra gets away with it. Pushes away from the body at this good length delivery, gets a thick edge but it doesn't carry to Yusuf at slip

0.5 M Morkel to Vohra, 2 runs, plays the pick up shot but doesn't get it from the middle of the bat. Gets it around the splice and the good length delivery plugs at deep mid-wicket

0.4 M Morkel to Vohra, no run, fantastic delivery. Morne hits the deck hard with this short of length delivery around the off stump, gets bounce and away movement off the pitch, Vohra hops and tries to defend but he was completely squared up and it just missed the outside edge

0.3 M Morkel to Vohra, no run, this short of length delivery nips away and zooms past Vohra's outside edge as he tries to defend

0.2 M Morkel to Sehwag, leg byes, 1 run, hurries Sehwag with a short of length delivery, the batsman misses the flick and is hit on the pad but it was heading down the leg side

0.1 M Morkel to Sehwag, 2 runs, looks like Sehwag is going to go for the shots straightaway. Fullish delivery outside off stump, Sehwag looks to loft it handsomely, but mistimes it high in the air, luckily, he managed to clear the infield

Sehwag and Vohra are at the crease. Sehwag is on strike. M Morkel will open the attack

Welcome back...

A handy score in the end for Kolkata. With the bowling arsenal that they possess, 163 should be a good score to defend. Uthappa was once again the star performer, scoring his 10th consecutive score of 40 or more. Gambhir disappointed on a day he returned back to the Test side, but there were useful contributions from the rest of the batsmen. Punjab kept their discipline, took wickets in clusters and did not allow Kolkata to run away with the game. Akshar Patel was the best bowler on view, returning with excellent figures of 2/11 from his four overs. Some late hitting by ten Doeschate, Suryakumar Yadav and Piyush Chawla though has meant that we will have a fine chase coming up. Join us for the chase in a while..

19.6 Awana to Chawla, FOUR, cheeky stuff from Chawla. Shuffles across to off and paddles a low full toss over short fine, inside the ring. A calculated hit to end the innings. That's the third boundary of the over and Kolkata end on 163

Morne Morkel, left handed bat, comes to the crease

19.5 Awana to Chawla, out Narine Run Out!! 1 run completed. Poor stuff from the bowler and the non-striker. It was dug out back to the bowler, who deflected it towards short midwicket, he then had a chance to run Narine out at the keeper's end, but his throw was horribly wide of Saha. Narine isn't the best of runners between the wickets at the best of times, no way he could've got back for the 2nd, a direct hit from third man came to the bowler's end and he was found well short. Bailey was waiting to collect the throw, nudged one bail off with his hand, but the throw hit the stump and eventually the stump too came out. When the stump comes out, no need to check anymore. But surprisingly the third ump did and took an age to give it out. Basic stuff, which was forgotten. Narine run out (Johnson) 0(0)

Awana to Chawla, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!

What is going on here? Seriously poor cricket from Awana and Narine. Initially it was Awana and then it was Narine. Narine is gone, as a direct hit comes in from third man. The third ump is having a look. Has Bailey nudged the bails off before the throw hit the stumps? Yes he did, but he nudged only one bail off. The other one was still there in the groove. That should be out. The third ump wants to be dead sure, before confirming. OUT is the call!

19.4 Awana to Chawla, no run, good yorker length delivery on the stumps, dug out back to the bowler

19.3 Awana to Chawla, 2 runs, from round the wicket, full and straight on the stumps, dug out towards long-on. It's a couple of runs

19.2 Awana to Chawla, FOUR, can't bowl there with short fine inside the ring. Short and down leg, all it needed was something and Chawla pulls, to beat the man

19.1 Awana to Chawla, FOUR, that's a good start to the over. Low full toss, Chawla flicks and beats deep square to his left. The fielder dived but couldn't beat the shot. Can Chawla do some damage?

18.5 Johnson to Chawla, no run, full and wide outside off, Chawla trties to drive on the up, doesn't make contact. A dot ball at this stage

Sunil Narine, left handed bat, comes to the crease

18.4 Johnson to ten Doeschate, out Caught by Vohra at deep square leg!! ten Doeschate thumps his bat hard onto his leg, after getting out. That was well-timed, but went straight to the fielder. Full and on the pads, ten Doeschate flicked it nicely, but he picked the fielder. Johnson has got a very important wicket for ten Doeschate could've caused some damage. ten Doeschate c Vohra b Johnson 17(10) [6s-2]

Johnson to ten Doeschate, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

18.3 Johnson to ten Doeschate, no run, good delivery. Bowls the slower bouncer, ten Doeschate is completely fooled, is into the pull way too early and the ball loops over his bat

18.2 Johnson to Chawla, 1 run, flicked to deep square leg, the fielder is there, so only a single

Suryakumar Yadav kept shaking his head on the walk back, unable to fathom how he missed a straight delivery - he missed because he had pre-meditated too much and gave his hand away before the bowler could deliver

17.6 Karanveer Singh to Suryakumar Yadav, out Bowled!! After playing such a proper shot last ball, he gets out trying to slog. Shuffled across, exposed his middle and leg stump even before the bowler released the ball, Karanveer Singh bowled it a lot slower and beat the sweep shot of the batsman, the ball almost went in slow motion to hit the stumps. Yadav stands perplexed for a while, before walking back. Suryakumar Yadav b Karanveer Singh 20(14) [4s-3 6s-1]

Karanveer Singh to Suryakumar Yadav, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

17.5 Karanveer Singh to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR, great sweep shot. On a bent knee. Almost on one leg. Picks it from outside off, still has to do a lot - rolls his wrists, places it all along the ground, bisects deep midwicket and wide long-on. That's a lot of effort for a boundary, but that will give him much joy for it was a proper cricketing sweep shot. Four in the truest sense of the word

17.4 Karanveer Singh to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, that was missing off! Suryakumar Yadav knelt down to sweep and missed the leggie, the turn away made it an easy decision for the ump

17.3 Karanveer Singh to ten Doeschate, 1 run, has to drag it from way outside off, so no timing, on the bounce to long-on

17.2 Karanveer Singh to ten Doeschate, SIX, smashed! This one is biffed way back into the stands at long-on. Floated on the stumps, ten Doeschate makes room and launches the bowler. Hit really hard and that shot travelled some distance

17.1 Karanveer Singh to ten Doeschate, SIX, What a shot! Just a flick and it has carried all the way. Wrists of dynamite from ten Doeschate. Danced down and as the ball was dipping on him, he just flicked it with lots of bottom hand. The ball had enough to carry all the way

Karanveer Singh [3.0-0-23-2] is back into the attack

16.6 R Dhawan to ten Doeschate, 1 run, another slower delivery on the pads, turned into the midwicket region again. But only a single this time

16.5 R Dhawan to ten Doeschate, 2 runs, just tapped into the midwicket region. Knows that deep midwicket is a long way away from the ball and rushes back for the second. Expertly placed and well run

16.4 R Dhawan to Suryakumar Yadav, 1 run, low full toss on the pads, flicked to long leg

16.3 R Dhawan to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, much fuller and tucking up Suryakumar Yadav on the flick. Inside-edged onto the boot and Bailey running across from short cover keeps it to a dot

16.2 R Dhawan to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR, beautiful cricketing shot. Makes room outside leg, sees the slower delivery and then lofts it straight back over the bowler. Bisected the two men at long-off and long-on. That was a clean strike

16.1 R Dhawan to Suryakumar Yadav, SIX, that is right off the middle of the bat. Suryakumar Yadav shuffles across to off and then swings high and handsome over deep square leg. That boundary off the first ball, will put immense pressure on the bowler

Rishi Dhawan [3.0-0-30-0] is back into the attack

15.6 A Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, 1 run, punched off the back foot to long-off

15.5 A Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, was that missing leg? High as well. Yadav missing the whip to leg off a flatter delivery, struck on the back leg too. But S Ravi deemed that to be missing

The Punjab side are in a huddle. The batsmen are walking out. Sehwag breaks out of the huddle and is the last to go on the field. Walking all by himself, in a relaxed manner. Here we go for the restart.

Great news! All the covers are off. The batsmen get ready to come out. The umps too are waiting to do the same. The Punjab side are there too. Bailey is sporting a smile - when hasn't he? We should start very soon. The conditions look dry and we should finish the innings even though it won't happen on time. The hessian rope is being swept around the ground to take out whatever moisture there is on the outfield. There won't be any reduction in overs.

More bad news now. Another huge cover is being brought on to cover the outfield. Looking at the conditions, the rain isn't heavy at all. The flags are fluttering, which suggests that there is a light breeze blowing as well. Llong and Ravi wait patiently on the ground, looking at the overhead conditions. The lights are on at the moment at the Eden.

Scratch that! The previous update I mean. For a second or two, they removed the covers and as they were in the process of doing so, the rain duly arrived, leaving the groundstaff to pull the covers back on. Again the rain has got lighter, this is very frustrating even for the groundstaff. They might have to remove the covers soon. The two umps walk out to the middle to have a chat with the head curator.

The umpires are seen talking to the groundstaff. Looks like the rain has eased and that's good news. Some of the covers are coming off and that draws a cheer from the crowd. Even the main cover off the centre wicket has been taken off. We will start very soon is the news. Just a strategy break - this time from the weather gods!

The umpires have had enough. They have taken the players off the field. The covers are on in a flash. This is not good news. Hopefully it's a passing shower. But looking at the Kolkata weather over the last week or so, this could be bad news.

15.4 A Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, again mistimed. Backs away and tries to go over cover, bottom-edges it onto the pad. That could so easily have gone back onto the stumps

15.3 A Patel to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, makes room and punches it straight to the fielder at short cover

15.2 A Patel to ten Doeschate, leg byes, 1 run, down leg, off the pad and a legbye

Hoho! Rain has arrived. A few drops start to fall now

15.1 A Patel to ten Doeschate, no run, only Saha appeals for a caught behind. But S Ravi says no. Flatter and quicker outside off, ten Doeschate tries to dab fine and misses

14.5 Karanveer Singh to Suryakumar Yadav, FOUR, three strikes and you're out! But here it was three strikes and a boundary! Dabbed wide of slip by Suryakumar Yadav, Rishi Dhawan gave chase, slid, tried to pull it back three times, but the ball somehow, incredibly eluded the middle of the hand and slipped away from his grasp to roll into the fence. Karanveer Singh looks a dejected man

14.4 Karanveer Singh to Suryakumar Yadav, no run, no hat-trick! Good delivery, tossed up and turning away, Yadav defends off the back foot

A slip in place for the hat-trick ball

Suryakumar Yadav, right handed bat, comes to the crease

14.3 Karanveer Singh to Y Pathan, out Caught by D Miller!! That's hara-kiri from Pathan. Crazy batting. Really horrid shot. The bowler is running around in delight. Shakib was dismissed last ball and what does Pathan do off the next delivery? He tries to launch Karanveer Singh out of the ground and drills one straight to the fielder at long-on. The fielder just stood there and caught it easily. Now the bowler is on a hat-trick. Y Pathan c D Miller b Karanveer Singh 20(18) [4s-2 6s-1]

Karanveer Singh to Y Pathan, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Ryan ten Doeschate, right handed bat, comes to the crease

14.2 Karanveer Singh to Shakib, out Caught by D Miller!! Gone this time! It was not on middle as the previous delivery, Shakib wanted to play the same stroke, but since it was outside off, the timing was all wrong, the weight not going forward into the stroke, right off the bottom of the bat and looped high up in the air, Miller came in from long-off and completed the formality. The crowd are stunned once more. Shakib c D Miller b Karanveer Singh 18(16) [4s-2]

Karanveer Singh to Shakib, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

14.1 Karanveer Singh to Shakib, FOUR, bang! Shakib makes room and then clears his left leg, smashed right back over the bowler. Easy boundary

Karanveer Singh [2.0-0-15-0] is back into the attack

13.6 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, no run, a bit of a staring match between the bowler and the batsman. It was driven back to the bowler who stopped it and then attempted a mock shy at Pathan, the batsman didn't like that much, stares back at the bowler

13.5 R Dhawan to Shakib, 1 run, that stopped on Shakib a bit, but he punched it in the air, knowing that he would be safe as long-off was back

13.4 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, 1 run, chipped in the air, but well in front of long-on

13.3 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, SIX, Pathan has had enough of blocking. Makes room and then biffs it way over long-off. He really did time that. The crowd like it too and they keep the ball with them. That's the second one taken by them as a souvenir tell the commies on air

13.2 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, no run, down leg and Pathan can't connect with the flick. The ball rolls back to the bowler

13.1 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, no run, flicked to the left of short fine, Pathan wanted a single, Shakib didn't. Luckily Pathan made it back with a dive as the throw didn't hit direct

I guess Pathan is safe here. He was sent back by Shakib, but the dive must have saved him and it has. Shouldn't take long for the third ump to decide this. Should be an easy call. Not out is the decision

12.6 Awana to Shakib, no run, full on off, driven straight to the fielder at mid-off

12.5 Awana to Y Pathan, leg byes, 1 run, sliding into the pads, Pathan can't flick it away, off the pad and they take a legbye

12.4 Awana to Y Pathan, no run, comical stuff from Awana. Appeals and then pleads with Llong for the lbw appeal. Then realises he has to go for the ball after the umpire shook his head. That all comes to nothing as the batsmen stay at their ends. Coming back to the lbw appeal, it was a good shout - pitched on off and rapped Pathan on the pads, on the back leg in fact and the batsman was struck just above the knee roll. Only the height was a factor there and that only could've saved Pathan, for it was bang on line when the ball crashed into the pad. A very good shout and Llong negated it only assuming that it would've gone over the stumps

12.3 Awana to Shakib, 1 run, that cramped Shakib for room, on the stumps and curving into the body of Shakib, who dabs it down to third man

12.2 Awana to Shakib, FOUR, that's a fine shot. A bit of pre-meditation in that, he danced down and went over cover, with a half-vertical bat. Good positive stroke

12.1 Awana to Shakib, no run, short outside off, cut straight to the fielder at point

Parvinder Awana [2.0-0-13-0] is back into the attack

11.6 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, 2 runs, that's sloppy from both Dave Miller and Dhawan. Initially it was the throw from Miller - which was on the half-volley to the bowler that made it a difficult take, and the bowler too didn't get his body behind the throw as he was crouching on one leg to collect. That allows the extra run to be taken. I'm sure Bailey won't be too pleased with that

11.5 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, no run, full and on the pads, flicked straight to the fielder at midwicket

11.4 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, FOUR, Dhawan has his hands on his head. He can't believe that it hasn't carried to the keeper. It won't as Saha was standing up. If he was standing back, he should've dived, for it was going to an imaginary 1st slip. Width outside off, Pathan slashes and gets a thick outside edge that runs away to the third man fence

11.3 R Dhawan to Shakib, 1 run, fraction short outside off, cut away to the left of a diving point, who gets a hand and takes some pace off the ball. Keeps it to just a single

11.2 R Dhawan to Y Pathan, 1 run, on the pads, whipped away to backward square leg, for a single

11.1 R Dhawan to Shakib, 1 run, length outside off, punched on the up to long-off

Rishi Dhawan [1.0-0-13-0] is back into the attack

10.6 Johnson to Y Pathan, no run, huge shout for lbw, but that pitched definitely outside leg. Llong makes the right call. After a couple of short balls, this one was pitched up and swung in late - Pathan wasn't expecting it, he was anticipating another short ball, but since the ball pitched outside leg, he was saved as the ball thudded into the pads in front of leg. Hang on, we have a replay of this delivery - and did it pitch on leg? May just have, if that was the case, the ball was crashing into middle and leg. Pathan might have got lucky that time

10.5 Johnson to Y Pathan, FOUR, this short delivery has been put away. The line was wrong - way outside off, gave him the width to go for the slash and Pathan put it away, went up and over point. Nearly carried all the way

10.4 Johnson to Y Pathan, no run, oh! Good bowling from Johnson, banged in short and on the ribs, Pathan had shuffled across to pull, but since it was near his chest, he couldn't get in any position to play the shot well, has to defend it awkwardly in the end. Nicely bowled by Johnson

A slip in place now for Johnson against Y Pathan

10.3 Johnson to Shakib, 1 run, full and outside off, Shakib hit it in the air, but well wide of cover, the ball goes to sweeper for a single

10.2 Johnson to Shakib, 2 runs, shortish on off, Shakib had decided to pull anyway, doesn't get hold of it, but gets a couple down to deep backward square leg

10.1 Johnson to Shakib, no run, short of length on off, Shakib defends it from the crease, Johnson picks it up on his followthrough

10.1 Johnson to Shakib, wide, bit of inswing on that delivery, but it slants down leg-side, so a wide called

9.4 Karanveer Singh to Shakib, 1 run, floated up outside off stump, Shakib drills it down to long-on

9.3 Karanveer Singh to Y Pathan, 1 run, Pathan waits for the ball to spin and gently works it to short fine leg

9.2 Karanveer Singh to Shakib, 1 run, short and fast outside off stump, Shakib cuts it to sweeper cover. He's off the mark now

9.1 Karanveer Singh to Shakib, no run, down the leg side, Shakib picks out short fine leg

8.6 A Patel to Y Pathan, no run, nicely tossed up just outside off stump, Pathan defends off the front foot

Yusuf Pathan, right handed bat, comes to the crease

8.5 A Patel to M Pandey, out Bowled!! Oh that's an unlucky dismissal and this is a great over for Punjab! Now they have two new batsmen to work with. This flatter delivery was dropped short by Patel, Pandey tried to work it on the on-side, he missed and it lobbed off the thigh pad, it went up before coming down off his left elbow and then it goes on to hit the leg stump. Pandey couldn't believe it. M Pandey b A Patel 21(20) [4s-3]

A Patel to M Pandey, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

8.4 A Patel to M Pandey, no run, on the off stump, Pandey defends well

8.3 A Patel to M Pandey, no run, flighted delivery outside off stump, Pandey pushes it to cover

Shakib Al Hasan, left handed bat, comes to the crease

8.2 A Patel to Uthappa, out Caught by D Miller!! Oh my word! That's a very, very soft dismissal! Nothing shot and Uthappa knows it. The wry smile on his face tells it all! Flighted delivery outside off stump, Uthappa chips it in the air, probably he tried to go over extra-cover but hit it a lot straighter and long-off didn't have to move an inch. This is a massive wicket for Punjab as Robbie was looking well set. Uthappa c D Miller b A Patel 42(30) [4s-4 6s-2]

A Patel to Uthappa, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

8.1 A Patel to Uthappa, no run, shortish outside off stump, Uthappa cuts it to backward point

7.4 Karanveer Singh to M Pandey, FOUR, fine shot. Tossed up outside off stump, Pandey waits for the ball to spin away and drives it over extra-cover for four

7.3 Karanveer Singh to Uthappa, 1 run, chipped in the air and just over cover. Flighted delivery outside off stump, Uthappa didn't want to hit this hard, he almost hit it to the fielder there

7.2 Karanveer Singh to M Pandey, 1 run, top edge but it falls safely between two fielder at mid-on. Pandey went for the slog-sweep but top-edged it high in the air, the bowler ran back while Miller ran in from long-on, but beats both and lands right in front of them

7.1 Karanveer Singh to Uthappa, 1 run, 10th consecutive time that Uthappa has got to 40 in T20s. Spinning away outside off stump, Uthappa waits and drives it down to long-on

Karanveer Singh, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack

Time-out

6.6 A Patel to Uthappa, 1 run, quicker through the air and on the leg stump, Uthappa flicks it to mid-wicket

6.5 A Patel to Uthappa, no run, Viru makes a good diving stop at short third man. Short again from Akshar Patel, Uthappa cuts well but Sehwag does well to save four runs

6.4 A Patel to M Pandey, 1 run, short and allowing the batsman it camp on the back foot, Pandey pulls it to long-on

6.3 A Patel to M Pandey, no run, this flatter delivery keeps a touch low but Pandey adjusts well and defends it to cover

6.2 A Patel to Uthappa, 1 run, short and on the leg stump, Uthappa works it to mid-wicket

6.1 A Patel to Uthappa, no run, short and spinning away, Uthappa tries to help it away to third man but misses

Akshar Patel [1.0-0-7-0] is back into the attack

5.6 R Dhawan to Uthappa, 1 run, good length delivery on the stumps, Uthappa tucks it to short mid-wicket

5.5 R Dhawan to M Pandey, 1 run, this time Pandey tries to push it through cover-point, he gets a thick edge and it rolls towards mid-on and they take a very quick single

5.4 R Dhawan to M Pandey, FOUR, 50 partnership comes up! Overpitched and asking for trouble, Pandey smashes it down the ground, the bowler tries to get low and grab the ball in his follow-through but it was too quick for him

5.3 R Dhawan to M Pandey, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Pandey pokes and misses, the ball beats the outside edge, Saha, who was upto the stumps a couple of balls ago, whipped the bails off, but Pandey was very quick to drag his back foot back in the crease in time

Third umpire has been called for a stumping check! No issues with the no-ball, Pandey looks safe and NOT OUT should be the call. Yes, he's safe!

5.2 R Dhawan to Uthappa, 1 run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Uthappa guides it to backward point

5.1 R Dhawan to Uthappa, SIX, he keeps playing those shots as if it's bread and butter for him!. Stunning hit! He didn't even try to hit this overpitched delivery hard, just lofted it back over the bowler's head and it sailed over the fence

Rishi Dhawan, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack

Uthappa (636 runs) has now scored the most number of runs by an Indian in the history of the Indian T20 League. He goes past Virat Kohli (634 runs).

4.6 Awana to Uthappa, 1 run, inside edge but luckily it misses the stumps and rolls to backward square leg as Uthappa tries to work this short of length delivery down to third man

4.5 Awana to Uthappa, FOUR, remember Parvinder Awana, you are bowling to the batsman of the tournament. You can't afford to offer freebies! Short delivery outside the off stump, not much of pace on that one, Uthappa sits on the back foot and pulls it very hard, the ball bounces just in front of the rope at deep mid-wicket

4.4 Awana to M Pandey, 1 run, full delivery just outside off stump, Pandey pushes it off the front foot to mid-off, takes on Bailey and makes his ground before the umder-arm throw reached the striker's end

4.3 Awana to Uthappa, 1 run, deft touch this time, opens the face of the bat and sends the short of length delivery to third man

4.2 Awana to Uthappa, FOUR, wow! That ball rocketed to the fence. Uthappa danced down the track and smashed the length delivery uppishly over extra-cover and it thuds into the fence

4.1 Awana to Uthappa, no run, this time Uthappa tries to go big but he misses. Good length delivery outside off stump, Uthappa plays across the line and doesn't make contact

Parvinder Awana [1.0-0-2-0] is back into the attack

3.6 Johnson to M Pandey, no run, an ugly push from Pandey and he's lucky not to nick it. Good length delivery outside off stump, not much of feet movement from him, he tries to force it through cover but the ball beats the inside-edge. Contrasting over for Johnson, 17 runs came off it

3.5 Johnson to Uthappa, 1 run, fullish delivery outside off stump, Uthappa steers it down to third man

3.4 Johnson to Uthappa, FOUR, again, mid-on is very wide and Kolkata pick up four. Good length delivery on the off stump, Uthappa just chips it uppishly past the bowler, Manan Vohra tries to give chase from mid-on but went well wide of him

3.3 Johnson to Uthappa, SIX, the crowd goes berserk. They know that it is a top shot from Robbie! Not easy to pull the likes of Mitch when he is going, it was a short delivery on the stumps, Uthappa doesn't bother and plays over the infield, in fact it had enough to sail over the deep square leg fence

3.2 Johnson to M Pandey, 1 run, good length delivery outside off stump, Pandey guides it to third man

3.2 Johnson to M Pandey, wide, sprays this down the leg side Mitchell Johnson, a fine little tickle could have been four

3.1 Johnson to M Pandey, FOUR, uppish, but safe. If only Bailey was standing at a conventional mid-off position, that would have been a dolly. Pandey mistimed the drive in the air, Bailey is wide of mid-off, he dives full length to his right but the ball escapes past him

2.6 A Patel to Uthappa, FOUR, wrong line again from Akshar Patel, not one ball in this over ended outside off stump, Uthappa rocks and flicks it wide of the man at short fine leg and it runs away to the fence as there was no one in the deep

2.5 A Patel to M Pandey, leg byes, 1 run, again on the leg stump, Pandey misses the nudge, the ball rolls to square leg off the pad

2.4 A Patel to Uthappa, 1 run, a touch quicker and on the leg stump, Uthappa gets across the sticks and flicks it to mid-wicket

2.3 A Patel to M Pandey, 1 run, the ball isn't turning much yet for Patel, hence the batsmen are easily able to flick him through mid-wicket

2.2 A Patel to Uthappa, 1 run, on the pads again Akshar Patel, Uthappa works it to mid-wicket

2.1 A Patel to M Pandey, leg byes, 1 run, flighted delivery just missing leg, Pandey misses the flick, the ball lobs off the pad and rolls behind square on the on-side

Akshar Patel, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack

1.6 Johnson to Uthappa, no run, good length delivery on the leg stump, Uthappa tucks it towards mid-wicket

1.5 Johnson to M Pandey, 1 run, another yorker outside off stump, Pandey digs it out to third man

1.3 Johnson to M Pandey, 1 run, rising short of length delivery on the off stump, Pandey hops and guides it down to third man

Manish Pandey, right handed bat, comes to the crease

1.2 Johnson to Gambhir, out Caught by Bailey!! In the air and GG goes very cheaply! Good catch from Bailey at widish and shortish mid-on I must say. Short delivery on the off stump, Gambhir pulls but doesn't bother to keep it down, no timing on that either as he got it high on the bat, Bailey jumps high and grabs the ball behind his body! The crowd is stunned. So no great start for Kolkata today with the bat. Gambhir c Bailey b Johnson 1(3)

Johnson to Gambhir, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

1.1 Johnson to Gambhir, no run, very good call umpire Ravi. Loud shout for LBW but it was high and would have missed the stumps. Good length delivery on the stumps, no swing on this one as it was delivered with a scrambled seam, Gambhir misses the flick, hit high on the pad and umpire was spot on

Mitchell Johnson, comes into the attack

0.6 Awana to Uthappa, no run, short of length delivery on the off stump, Uthappa covers the off stump and punches it down to mid-on

0.5 Awana to Uthappa, no run, appeal for caught-behind, not given. Has Awana got away with a wide? Short delivery steeply rising, it was just going down the leg side, Uthappa tries to fend but misses, the ball zooms past the glove and the appeal puts the umpire off as he doesn't call that a wide. Maybe, it flicked the shirt on its way

0.4 Awana to Uthappa, no run, nice and straight on the off stump, Uthappa leans forward and drives it back to the bowler

0.3 Awana to Gambhir, 1 run, a drop and run single from Gambhir. Short of a length very close to the off stump, Gambhir defends very late, the ball rolls towards backward point and they scamper through for a quick run

0.2 Awana to Uthappa, 1 run, a gentle good length delivery outside off stump, Uthappa opens the face of the bat and guides it to third man to get off the mark

0.1 Awana to Uthappa, no run, hit on the pads straightaway but luckily for Robbie, it was just going down the leg side. Uthappa pushes forward and tries to work the inswinging good length delivery into the on-side, he misses and the ball rolls behind square off the pad. Gambhir charges half way down the track for a quick single but Uthappa sends him back

Uthappa and Gambhir are at the crease. Uthappa is on strike. Awana will open the attack

One slip in place.

Well, we are all set for the action to begin. The umpires are making their way out to the middle. The batsmen are out there too. It's going to be Awana with the new ball!

Gambhir: "The pressure is equal on both the sides. The side that is calm and composed will win the contest. We always knew that we had the talent and it's just a matter of clicking together. Hopefully we can try and bat well and then defend the score later on. Looks a very good wicket for both batsmen and the bowlers. We've got Piyush in place of Vinay."

Bailey: "I think the delay is good as the weather has cleared up and now we can play a full game. Temperament is vital at this stage of the tournament. We are going to bowl. The wicket has been under the covers for a long time so there might be something in it for the bowlers. We are playing an unchanged side."

Kings XI Punjab have won the toss and have opted to field

When these two teams met in the league stages of the tournament, Punjab drew first blood when they defeated Kolkata by 23 runs in Abu Dhabi. When these two met again in Cuttack, Kolkata trounced Punjab with a solid 9-wicket victory. No two teams have been so evenly matched as these two and the fans must be waiting for quite a contest. Toss and teams coming up in few minutes...Stay tuned...

The way this tournament has unfolded, especially in the last few days of the league games, everybody will be hoping for yet another cracker. Punjab are the team to beat, sitting pretty on the top of the table, with a fantastic display all through the season. On the other hand, Gambhir's boys are not going down without a fight. A better weather and a game at their home ground, gives them a good chance to register another win on the trot and march into the final.

Even the Punjab official twitter account said that things are looking bright. Here's what they had to say: Things are looking good! It hasn't rained and we're on our way to a 3:30 PM toss!

Alright, here we are just an hour away from the start of the first Qualifier between Punjab and Kolkata. Yesterday, rain played spoilsport and the game had to be postponed. But today, the weather gods appear to be pleased and it is bright and sunny. Sundar Raman had tweeted just a little while ago: Covers off. Sun out. Eden ready. Game on am told.

Regarding tomorrow's playing conditions, Sundar Raman, the COO of the Indian T20 League, tweeted that play will start at 16:00 Local Time and there will be no reduction of overs until 18:00. The cut-off time for a 5-over per side game is 20:20. Meanwhile, the cut-off time for a Super-Over is 21:10.

The conditions at the Eden today are simply unfit for a game of cricket with water reaching ankle height.

With torrential rain lashing the Eden, the Qualifier 1 between Kolkata and Punjab has been postponed to Wednesday. The match will kick off at 16:00 Local Time before the Eliminator between Mumbai and Chennai at Mumbai. If it continues to pour down tomorrow too, the officials will try to carve out a Super-Over shoot out between the two sides. If conditions do not facilitate even a Super-Over, then Punjab will progress to the final by virtue of more wins, while Kolkata will play Qualifier 2...

Preview by MS Ramakrishnan

After 56 hard fought games, we are left with four teams who are waiting to get their hands on the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. Firstly, it is the battle between the top two. The tension will be high as Punjab take on 2012 Champions, Kolkata in Qualifier 1 at Eden Gardens. The winner will get a direct entry to the final while the loser has a second opportunity by taking on one of Chennai Super Kings or Mumbai Indians on May 30.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Gautam Gambhir's men are on a roll with seven consecutive wins under their belt, including a stunning display against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which helped them pip Super Kings and grab the second stop in the table. The fact that the Qualifier 1 was shifted out of Chennai has now given them an added advantage - they will be playing in familiar conditions and in front of an boisterous Kolkata crowd.

Robin Uthappa has grabbed eyeballs whenever Kolkata have taken the field of late. With nine consecutive 40+ scores, Uthappa is in fine form and is looking good for more. Deservingly, he is also the leading run-getter in this year's competition. The way he has scored these runs has forced many to be glued to their seats when he is batting in the middle.

Though the skipper has not made many runs in his last few games, he has had no problems in timing the ball. Shakib Al Hasan too has done well in the competition and plays a vital role with both bat and ball. Yusuf Pathan's stunning innings against Hyderabad not only silenced his critics but also helped Kolkata grab the crucial second place on the table, which now gives them an extra opportunity to make it to the final.

If you have Sunil Narine in your ranks you are normally considered to have a fine bowling line-up and the Kolkata attack is no different. He is also the leading wicket-taker in the tournament and is the trump card for Gambhir in crunch situations. The rest of the bowlers too have formed good partnerships with Narine to constitute a formidable bowling attack.

Kings XI Punjab:

Kings XI Punjab, on the other hand, have been the team to beat for oppositions. Their sheer aggression with the bat has intimidated many bowlers and it will be a big test for Gambhir and his men come Tuesday. The fact that Manan Vohra is firing all guns at the top of the order, alongside Virender Sehwag, adds to the opposition captain's woes. If one thought those two were a destructive combination, there is more to come in the form of Glenn Maxwell and David Miller. It is quite clear that the bowlers and the fielders will have to be on their toes to stop the best batting line-up of this IPL.

Punjab's Indian talent has not disappointed the team management in the bowling department. Akshar Patel has been very impressive and even when skipper George Bailey asks him to bowl in pressure situations, Patel has shown maturity and has delivered quality goods. The fact that he has not missed a single game this year tells more about the trust the captain has in him. Sandeep Sharma lost his touch in the last few games but he has troubled many a batsman with his sharp swinging deliveries. He also tops the side's bowling charts with 17 wickets.

Stats:

Sunil Narine has picked up 20 or more wickets in three consecutive editions of the IPL. He picked up 24 wickets in 2012, 22 wickets in 2013 and 20 so far in 2014. Lasith Malinga is the only other bowler to have achieved this feat in 2011 (28 wickets), 2012 (22 wickets) and 2013 (20 wickets).

This will be the 100th T20 game for Manish Pandey.

Morne Morkel needs one more wicket to get to 150 wickets in T20s.

Robin Uthappa is the only player in the history of T20 cricket to score 40+ runs in nine consecutive matches.

Quotes:

"There is always that fear of getting hit for long sixes, but I mainly try to stick to my strength of bowling the arm-ball and the quicker one. I don't look to spin the ball or try different variations; I only concentrate on bowling a good arm-ball," Akshar Patel, on his bowling.

"We are going to have to be on our A game. They are a good team, a very good batting team and they could easily turn the game around, so we have to stay focused and concentrate on what we are doing," Kolkata's coach Trevor Bayliss ahead of his side's clash with Punjab.